Iran’s supreme leader says 'thousands killed' in unrest, blames Trump and Israel Submitted by MEE staff on Sat, 01/17/2026 - 17:32 Partial internet connectivity returns to Iran after eight days of a near-total blackout Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei addresses a meeting with students in Tehran on November 3, 2025 [Khamenei.Ir/AFP] Off Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has said that “several thousand” people were killed during weeks of nationwide protests, in the first official public acknowledgement of the scale of deaths from the unrest . Speaking on Saturday, Khamenei blamed US President Donald Trump for the violence, accusing Washington of responsibility for the casualties, destruction and turmoil across the country. “We consider the US president criminal for the casualties, damages and slander he inflicted on the Iranian nation,” Khamenei said, according to state media. “The latest anti-Iran sedition was different in that the US president personally became involved,” added Khamenei. The protests began on December 28 over economic hardship before spreading rapidly across Iran, becoming the most serious unrest the country has seen in years. Trump has repeatedly warned Tehran against using the death penalty against protesters, threatening “very strong action” if executions went ahead. On Friday, however, he said in a social media post that Iranian authorities had halted mass hangings. Tehran rejected that claim, saying there was “no plan to hang people”. In remarks widely seen as a response to Washington, Khamenei said Iran would not be pushed into conflict. “We will not drag the country into war, but we will not let domestic or international criminals go unpunished,” he said. 'The weave': Trump believes time is on his side to attack Iran, sources say Read More » Khamenei also accused Iran’s long-time adversaries, the United States and Israel , of orchestrating the violence. “Those linked to Israel and the US caused massive damage and killed several thousand,” he said, reporting on arson attacks, destruction of public property and efforts to incite chaos. The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency has claimed that it had verified at least 3,090 deaths, including 2,885 protesters, and more than 22,000 arrests since the unrest began. Access to information has remained limited due to widespread internet shutdowns . On Saturday, authorities partially restored connectivity. The semi-official Mehr News Agency said some users were back online, while ISNA reported that SMS services had resumed. Internet monitoring group NetBlocks said connectivity had risen slightly after more than 200 hours of near-total shutdown but remained at around two percent of normal levels. Iranian state media has reported the arrest of thousands of people it describes as “rioters and terrorists”, including individuals accused of links to opposition groups abroad seeking to overthrow the Islamic Republic. Israeli officials have publicly expressed support for exiled opposition figures. Earlier this month, Israeli Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu said Israel had operatives “on the ground” in Iran, claiming they aimed to weaken Tehran’s capabilities, while denying any direct role in toppling the leadership. Iran protests News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0